Getting your players into it! DMing

[schporto]

hey when you said random saves/checks how does that work?

Just say "Bob make a will save" (for whatever reason will saves disturb players the most). When they tell you the result (whatever it is) skritch it down. If they roll that 1, maybe act a little bug eyed, but tell them nothing. It definately works better when after they do something innocuos (opening a door, passing an intersection, etc). Nothing ever comes of it. If you use this too often it will become the boy who cried wolf.

also with the sound clips id love to know how you did that, did you just play different clips as they movd around the dungeon to freak them out/lead them on?

I had a laptop, and while they discussed where to go loaded the clip (these were all 5-20 second clips). I had noted a few points to play clips, but a lot of it was mood. The story was an there was a wizard who's experiments had gone seriously wrong killing his beloved Sarah. (Sarah because that was the name in the clip) He went insane and killed himself and still haunted around looking for sarah. I figured out where the allip would be, and figured what you'd hear in various room. A little whispering here, louder here, some drips in this room.
-cpd

 

[The_Gneech]

D. Keep them in mortal peril at all times. The players should never feel they can relax and be safe. This also means building in safeguards to keep them alive.

Actually, I would recommend strongly against this one. The reason troops get rotated out of the front lines is because people get "peril fatigue" after a while. In the game I play in, we were doing "Against the Giants" and after a while we all got sick of always being deep behind "enemy lines" so to speak and never having a chance to rest, sell off loot, spend a few days updating the spellbook, etc. The group came this close to saying, "Screw Geoff, we're going to Disneyland."

Most people can't be wound up all the time and sustain interest; even a roller coaster has the gentle plateau before the giant drop.

-The Gneech

 

[Oryan77]

My brother has a shopping mall and dungeon rule: Always follow the right wall and soon or later you will see the whole place.

That's called "The Right Hand Rule". Burglars use that rule when breaking into a house. It helps them make sure they don't search the same room twice while they are in a hurry.

Sure you're brother isn't shoplifting at the mall?

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

Just say "Bob make a will save" (for whatever reason will saves disturb players the most). When they tell you the result (whatever it is) skritch it down. If they roll that 1, maybe act a little bug eyed, but tell them nothing. It definately works better when after they do something innocuos (opening a door, passing an intersection, etc). Nothing ever comes of it. If you use this too often it will become the boy who cried wolf.

The game I'm currently playing in, it seemed the DM did this to us quite often. Now a dozen sessions into it we are discovering that something is really happening - a small cumulative effect each time we fail the save that has just started to become noticeable.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

Actually, I would recommend strongly against this one. The reason troops get rotated out of the front lines is because people get "peril fatigue" after a while. In the game I play in, we were doing "Against the Giants" and after a while we all got sick of always being deep behind "enemy lines" so to speak and never having a chance to rest, sell off loot, spend a few days updating the spellbook, etc. The group came this close to saying, "Screw Geoff, we're going to Disneyland."

Most people can't be wound up all the time and sustain interest; even a roller coaster has the gentle plateau before the giant drop.

-The Gneech

Changes in intensity are good, otherwise it can get dull - kind of like how after a while you don't notice a constant pain as much.

I ran a Midnight game for a while. Mortal peril is always on hand in that setting, but I found that when I backed off once in a while, the players relaxed a bit - and then when the peril returned it was even more noticeable.

 

[mcrow]

Besides trying to give each NPC a different voice and/or personality I try to make sure that the NPC directly converse with the PCs.

I have seen a few GMs that make the mistake of having their NPC basically be either just mooks for killing or question answering machines.

heck the PCs have a question chances are so are my NPCs.

I use NPC questions to get the quiet/new players into the game. It works wonders with new players when you put on a good NPC voice and start slingin questions @ them.

 

[Jurble]

wow some really awesome advice in here, thanks everyone

so coz im a newish DM and most of my players are also new, id be interested in advice on how to get them into idea of RPing their characters.

When we tried to tstart our game the first time, no one really wanted to play as their character (even 3rd person was hard) because they arnt used to it and it is really stepping outside what they have done before. Given my lack of expereicne im not entirely sure how to go about bringing them into this, playing as their characters, not as a stat block which they can just push through levels.

One thing i really thought addressed this out of some of the cool ideas in this thread was having the npcs have their own agenda and really ask the PCs questions and "dig" into their past/intentions etc.

theoretically id love to get to a 1st person type speaking game (not 3rd person "my character says"), im a big fan of the RPing ur char and 50/50 for combat/non combat rp.

Anyway, any suggestions?

tnx all!

 

[Ds Da Man]

Funny, all mine sound Scottish. When I launch into a brogue, my players say I'm speaking with a dwarvish accent.

-The Gneech

Well, I also use Scottish accent, albeit a poor one. Most of the time it's more like "aaarrrgggg....it be ass kickin' time" or some such. I try to mix it up a little. What does your elves sound like. I think I usually use a proper, dignified english sort (grant me some room, I'm a hillbilly from rural Ind, so my proper english probably still sounds redneckish).

 

[delericho]

Well, I also use Scottish accent, albeit a poor one.

Oddly enough, all of my characters seem to have a Scottish accent

I try to make my dwarves the most Scottish, though. And for the Duergar, I channel Glaswegian neds (chavs for those living in England; I don't know what the US equivalent would be).

What does your elves sound like. I think I usually use a proper, dignified english sort (grant me some room, I'm a hillbilly from rural Ind, so my proper english probably still sounds redneckish).

My elves are distinguished more by mannerisms than by accent. They tend to be quite distant and noble, hard to pin down, and somewhat standoffish. There's definately a little Vulcan in there too.

 

[delericho]

so coz im a newish DM and most of my players are also new, id be interested in advice on how to get them into idea of RPing their characters.

When we tried to tstart our game the first time, no one really wanted to play as their character (even 3rd person was hard) because they arnt used to it and it is really stepping outside what they have done before. Given my lack of expereicne im not entirely sure how to go about bringing them into this, playing as their characters, not as a stat block which they can just push through levels.

You need to take the lead in this. Stop trying to get them to speak in character, and just have them do it naturally. Here's how...

When running a combat, if Bill is running Tordek, instead of asking, "Bill, what does Tordek do now?", or even "Bill, what do you want to do?", turn to Bill and ask "Tordek, what are you going to do?" Try very hard to refer to the player only by the character's name.

When NPCs and PCs interact, don't say "The NPC says...", just adopt the NPC's voice, and talk directly to the player, as the NPC would talk to the PC. In no time at all, you'll find that the players follow your lead, and start speaking in character.

However, this only takes you half way. At this point, all your PCs will be exactly like the players who portray them. This is fine, but you can do more...

The next stage is to bring in characters and situations that have nothing to do with the ongoing plot of your campaign, will not be menaced by villains, and generally serve no purpose... except to interact with the PCs. So, give their favourite barkeep a name, a personality, and play him consistently. Maybe one PC has a sister that you can bring in. Local children might start following them around, emulating thier actions, asking for autographs, and so on. Bring these things in, and try to get your players to react. Those reactions build character (well, build their characters).

Really, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Roleplaying will come naturally as time passes.